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What Is an Accessibility Statement?

An accessibility statement is a public page that explains a website or digital service’s accessibility status, applied standard, known limitations, improvement work, and feedback channels. It is not a certification or a compliance guarantee, but it helps users understand how barriers can be reported and followed up.


Key Takeaways

  • An accessibility statement publicly explains a site’s accessibility status, applied standard, known limitations, and contact options.
  • It should be written for users who encounter barriers, not only for legal, audit, or engineering teams.
  • A good statement does not claim that everything is perfect. It explains what has been done, what limitations remain, and how users can report problems.

What an accessibility statement communicates

An accessibility statement is usually linked from the footer, sitemap, help page, or about page so users can find it easily. Its purpose is not to display a polished promise. It tells users how the site approaches accessibility, what standard it uses, and who to contact when something does not work.

A statement can reference WCAG, a certification, an evaluation report, or improvement work. Even without a formal certification, a site can still publish a clear and useful accessibility statement.

What a statement should include

W3C WAI recommends that an accessibility statement include at least a commitment to accessibility, the accessibility standard applied, and contact information for users who encounter problems. In practice, it is also useful to include known limitations, measures taken, testing approach, and the publication or update date.

  • The website or service name and the scope covered by the statement.
  • The applied standard, such as WCAG 2.1 AA, WCAG 2.2 AA, or local legal requirements.
  • The current conformance status: fully conformant, partially conformant, not assessed, or still being improved.
  • Known limitations and any available alternatives.
  • Feedback channels and expected response time.
  • The latest update date and the team or contact responsible for maintaining the statement.

A statement is not a certification or guarantee

An accessibility statement is part of a site’s self-disclosure and communication. It can be valuable, but it is not the same as a third-party certification, official badge, or full audit report.

If a statement only says “we care about accessibility” without a standard, limitations, feedback process, or update date, users cannot tell whether it is maintained. A statement that honestly lists limitations and next steps is often more trustworthy than a broad claim.

How to make it useful for users

Use plain language. W3C WAI notes that accessibility statements are primarily for users; overly technical or legal language can create confusion. Instead of only saying “Success Criterion 1.2.2 is not met,” it is more useful to say that some videos currently do not have captions.

When drafting one, the W3C WAI Accessibility Statement Generator can provide a starting structure that you can adapt to your service, language, legal context, and feedback process.

How Accesserty Signal treats statements

Accesserty Signal can show known accessibility statements in search results so users have one more traceable reference before opening a site. This does not mean the site is accessible, and it does not mean every page works. It only means a public statement has been found for that site.

That signal still has value. For users, it provides an entry point for understanding the site’s accessibility status and reporting barriers. For site owners, it makes statement maintenance visible instead of leaving it as a forgotten footer link.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an accessibility statement required?

Whether it is legally required depends on the jurisdiction, organization type, and applicable regulation. Even when it is not required, a clear statement helps users report barriers and helps teams maintain an improvement rhythm.

Does having a statement mean the site passed accessibility testing?

Not necessarily. A statement is public communication, not automatically a badge, certification, or full audit. Check whether it includes the standard, testing approach, known limitations, update date, and feedback process.

Where should an accessibility statement be placed?

Place it somewhere easy to find, such as the footer, sitemap, help page, or about page. Use consistent link text such as “Accessibility Statement.”

Related Pages

References